


Iago's Game

by PandoraButler



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Black Butler - Freeform, Escape Room AU, F/M, Kuroshitsuji - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Reapers, References to Shakespeare, SebaCiel - Freeform, Sebastian x Ciel - Freeform, Shinigami, ciel has a crush on his dad and so does everyone else, othello (the play), slight incest?, vincent x undertaker, vintaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22272361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoraButler/pseuds/PandoraButler
Summary: A mysterious man kidnaps a group of people, and forces them into an impossible game...one where they have to kill each other to survive.
Relationships: Lau/Vincent Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis & Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive, Vincent Phantomhive & Undertaker, Vincent Phantomhive/Undertaker, William T. Spears & Grell Sutcliff, William T. Spears/Grell Sutcliff
Kudos: 7





	1. And so, welcome to Quindecim.

"Welcome, to Quindecim," a voice says over the loud speaker. The noise resounded in their ears. They're locked, in tight little areas, with a tv screen on the wall to their little box. A man, with fluffy black hair, a lab coat, and shiny green eyes stares at them. He grins. He laughs. And then, he explains the rules. 

"My name is Othello," he places a hand on his chest, "and you are about to play Iago's Game. Don't worry, It's just as devilish as it sounds. I hope you've been keeping up with your Shakespeare, because it's time for a fun ride." The male leans in closer to the camera. He grins from ear to ear. 

"There are ten of you out there, I know you can't see each other right now but there _are_ ten of you. There will also be ten floors. Think of this as an escape room. There is something you need to do on each floor in order to go to the next level." An image of the building's map flashes on the screen. A tiny chibi image of Othello points to it. 

"This is where you are," it says, pointing to floor 10, "the very bottom. One of you can see the word 'angel' you are Desdemona in this story," Othello returns to the screen. "If you kill Desdemona, you all die. We aren't trying to recreate the tale. We're trying to fix it. Another one of you can see the word 'demon' you are Iago in this adventure. If you manage to kill Iago, you all win." Othello leans into the camera again and raises his finger. "If you manage to pass all of the floors without resorting to violence, you'll be the first group to do so. I'll be proud. And, you can win that way too. Enjoy, dear players, I'll be watching." 

Othello disappears and a countdown replaces him. It counts slowly from 10 to 1, as if torturing the souls in these small rooms. The door opens, finally, and the ten contestants stare at each other. Each from different walks of life. A spotlight shines on three, Othello's voice resounds in the room. "This is the Phantomhive family. Vincent, Rachel, and their son Ciel." The spotlight diminishes and each of the ten is introduced one at a time with their own light to shine on them. Sebastian Michaelis, Adrian Crevan, William T. Spears, Grell Sutcliff, Lau, Charles Grey, and Beast. The lights shut off and turn on, to reveal the trick of the trade. This is the first floor. The first test. 

"So," Vincent claps his hands together, "how do we start?" 


	2. And so, the game begins.

"I don't see why we should bother playing this _game_ ," William crossed his arms. Everyone stared at him, they were thinking the same thing but wouldn't dare say it. Othello was a mad man. You had to play by the mad man's rules to survive. He had all of their lives in his hands, literally. There were collars around each of their necks. They weren't explained, but they didn't have to be. They could be bombs for all they knew. No one wanted to tempt fate.

"Let's just look for clues about how to beat this floor," Vincent suggested. "I'm sure if we all work together we can figure something out." He tried his best to remain hopeful. No one was buying it. He looked the least bit impressive out of this crowd.

"Are you an idiot?" Rachel scoffed. "Do you honestly think with this group of ruffians we can get anywhere? We're going to die! Accept it! He is going to kill us. If he doesn't, we will kill each other trying to figure out who the demon is! How long do you think we can survive without water? Without food? If we don't kill each other we will die either way!"

"That's not true," Othello's voice returned. "I take good care of my subjects. Just play the game nicely, and you'll get treated better as it continues. Rewards, regular meals, and bathrooms are provided on each floor. You'll survive as long as you don't get killed or kill yourself," Othello promised.

"How are we supposed to trust him?" Rachel frowned. "Who knows if what he is saying is true!"

"Rachel, darling, don't you think you're being a bit too skeptical? Othello is a scientist, even if he is a mad one. He wouldn't dare interfere in our interactions," Vincent assured.

"Oh, like you would know," Rachel rolled her eyes. "Madness has no logic."

"Actually," William interrupted. "What Vincent is saying does have a point," William adjusted his glasses.

"Oh, sure, agree with him," Rachel crossed her arms. She wasn't much of a team player, in this life or the next. She just wanted to find out who the damn demon was and kill him (or her, or they, or it).

"Father," Ciel grabbed Vincent's sleeve. He looked up at him, terrified, not just because of the situation, but from something else as well.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Vincent knelt down to stare his boy in the eyes as the other members argued with each other.

"Father," Ciel repeated, even more anxious than the first time. He hugged his dad, tightly, around his neck, so that no one else would notice the fact he was whispering into his ear. To them, it only looked as if he was sobbing into Vincent's shoulder. "I'm the demon," he spoke so quietly, for fear of the others listening and, in the end, he did sob. He was going to die. They would kill him to save themselves. It was the easiest way to win the game.

Ciel released his grasp on Vincent. The father wiped away his son's tears. He was going to protect him, no matter the cost. His son would not die so that these people could live. Their only option was to survive all floors. They'd win. They'd figure it out.

The room shook. Grell had pressed a button on the wall. He was searching for a clue and found it. Each individual took a step towards the center of the room. The walls turned over. Rows and rows of weapons were found. A giant sign hung on one of them: **"Those that choose the sword, die by the sword."** It said.

"This is how it starts," Rachel took a step forward and grabbed a small and simple gun. She pointed it at one person and then another. "Which one of you is the goddamn demon? Just show yourself. I don't have time to be stuck here. I have a life to lead."

"Rachel, darling, please put the gun back. This has to be some sort of test," Vincent raised his hands, gently, trying to console her.

"I agree," William spoke. "This seems far too simple. Giving us weapons must be some sort of trick. There is nothing to achieve by having us all die here."

"Is it you?" Rachel pointed the gun at William. "Only a demon would try to save his own skin."

"Put the gun down," Vincent's voice stern. "Do you want to kill us all by accidentally shooting the angel? If you're so insistent on killing the demon at least wait until you know who it is!"

"It's you, isn't it?" Rachel pointed the gun at her own husband. His eyes widened with a shock unforgettable. "You were never right in the head. You even understood Othello's reasoning! You must be a demon. You have to be! No one in their right mind would understand Othello!" The others stood by and watched, not wanting to risk being shot at. They stared as the family was so clearly tearing itself apart.

"Rachel, please, listen to reason," Vincent tried to persuade her but her mind was already set.

"It is you!" Rachel shot at him. She shot and she missed. She shot dozens of times and missed. She unloaded the entire clip. Aggravated, she reached for another gun, only to be shot at with the same amount of bullets that she'd dished out. Her body fell. There was no saving her. The blood pooled onto the floor, inching closer and closer to the feet of the other members.

"That's not a pretty way to go," Grell frowned, taking a step back so that the red wouldn't ruin his shoes.

Confetti fell from the ceiling. Othello's voice rang out. "Congratulations," he said. "You all passed, except for Rachel, poor thing. Well, the game certainly is beginning. Escort yourselves to the elevator. Enjoy floor nine.~"


	3. And so, a tiger awaits.

The floor the remaining members of the game arrived on was dimly lit. Spotlights shone on a tiger in a cage. The participants stared at it, wondering if it was truly real. It was. The growling of the animal assured them. Beast stepped up to the cage and a giant siren went off. A pop-up mouse appeared within the cage. Shackles formed around Beast's legs, to keep her from moving. She was forced to stand in this spot.

The mouse spoke, in a voice similar to Othello's but not quite the same. "I shall ask you these questons three, answer me, if your answer is incorrect, tiger food yee shall be." The mouse's eternal grin looked ominous. Beast regretted her decision to try and pet the cat.

"Question One: What is the line in _Hamlet_ Act III, Scene I, Line 56?" the mouse inquired. Beast felt the sweat linger on her brow. She knew nothing of Shakespeare. William opened his mouth to answer the question for her, but his collar shocked him with an electric wave. He grasped his neck, crying out in pain. These were insurance, Vincent recognized, so that neither of them would cheat the games on the floors.

"Are we allowed to offer hints?" Vincent asked the ceiling. He knew Othello was watching their every move, surely he would answer a question. No response came. Damnit. Was he supposed to just stand here and watch another person die? The time passed slowly but surely. Beast tried her best to rack her brain, but she couldn't think of the line. Her life depended on it, but she had never read _Hamlet_.

" 'To be, or not to be: that is the question' " Beast said. She had no idea if she was correct or incorrect. But, she tried her best, and succeeded. The mouse's eyes glowed green. The next question came.

"Question Two: What is Hamlet the prince of?" the mouse asked. Beast looked behind her. Faces stared at her. Some concerned, some anxious, some without a care in the world. These people didn't care about her. Only she cared about her. She should've listened to Rachel's advice. She should've helped find the demon. Now she was stuck answering questions she didn't know the answer to.

"N-norway?" The mouse's eyes glowed red. She was dragged by the ankles into the tiger's cage. She fell on the ground. She turned, trying to grab someone's hand, anyone's hand, but she couldn't. She clawed at the ground. She tried to grip something. She screamed. There was no saving her. The tiger clawed at the chain, pulling her close. His teeth sank into her leg. The noise that escaped her lungs was one of sheer agony. One leg, then the other, limb by limb torn off until she was no longer conscious. Her brain might still be functioning but her soul had left. All the others could do was watch. They knew how futile resistance was in this place. It was becoming more and more evident. Play the game or die.

Each of the remaining people stared at one another. No one dared to be next. Risk dying? For what? There wasn't an escape even if they did win (probably). There were no guarantees. William sighed. He knew the most about Shakespeare so this should be an easy win. He took a step forward, but Sebastian beat him to it. That snotty teenage brat. He hadn't said a word since arriving and now he wanted to die by the hands of a tiger?

Shackles around his ankle, just like the first time. "I shall ask you these questons three, answer me, if your answer is incorrect, tiger food yee shall be," the mouse repeated. "Question One: Who are three Shakespeare demons?"

Sebastian stared at the mouse in awe. What kind of question was that? He wasn't going to ask the same ones as he did to Beast? What fuckery?! Sebastian thought long and hard. He didn't understand the question. Shakespeare demons? What did the mouse mean by _demon_? Sebastian closed his eyes to focus his thoughts. Othello had explained that the demon to _Othello_ was Iago. Does that mean 'Shakespeare demons' are simply the antagonists?

"Iago, Lady Macbeth, and Claudius," Sebastian attempted. The mouse didn't respond right away. The anticipation built up in Sebastian's throat. The torture of waiting.

"Question Two: How does Ophelia die?"

"Drowned," Sebastian replies promptly. The mouse takes even longer to respond this time. Sebastian glances behind him. The same looks on their faces as when Beast was there. The only child, or so he looked, wasn't even staring at him. His eyes were covered by Vincent's hands. Was he a kid? Or was he just short?

"Question Three: Was Athens named after Athena or was Athena named after Athens?" the mouse stared into the depths of Sebastian's eyes. This was the last question. The final one. He just had to answer it. Sebastian didn't know anything about Greek culture. This was practically a chicken or the egg question.

Sebastian crossed his arms and closed his eyes once more. He tried to figure out the root of this. Okay, so Athena was a goddess? Right? That part was at least true. What about Athens? What did he possibly know about ancient Athens? Philosophers? Uh, Socrates? Philosophy wouldn't name itself after a god...possibly. No, it wasn't like that back then. People loved gods. Damnit. Athena. What did he know about Athena? Time to switch tactics. He knew she was a goddess, daughter of Zeus...wasn't there a story about Medusa with her involved? Fuck. He didn't know shit. He'd read _The Odyssey_ while on drugs and half dead. He couldn't tell you shit outside of the Disney movie _Hercules_.

Time to take a leap of faith on his own gut instinct. "Athens was named after Athena."

Ten seconds passed. One minute. Five minutes. The eyes glowed green and a door to another elevator opened. The shackles released and Sebastian was free. The tiger rested on its back legs, sitting in the blood of Beast. Some of her bones still resting with flesh on them. Vincent guided Ciel to the elevator.

"Congratulations on passing two floors," Othello appeared on a screen in the elevator. "It's unfortunate what happened to Rachel and Beast," he shook his head, disappointed. "But I have faith in you lot. You can win this!" he smiled. The elevator expanded to reveal food on one side and a small bathroom on the other. "It's getting late. Feel free to refresh yourselves. In the morning, I'll open the elevator door and release to onto floor eight."

"How do we know we can trust the food?" Charles Grey crossed his arms. "What if it's poisoned or filled with some hallucinogen?"

Othello grinned and leaned in close to the camera. "You can't," he snickered, before disappearing.


	4. And so, we're stuck.

"I'm sure it's fine," Vincent promised. "He wouldn't kill us before we play the games."

"He nearly killed me," William reached up to touch his collar, "just for interfering." He could still feel the electric waves flowing through him. "Make no mistake, that man is not right in the head. More importantly," William paused to stare at each of the remaining individuals. His gaze shifted from one to the next. "If we are going to survive, the angel needs to make himself known. We need to protect the angel, or all of us will die."

"Forget about the angel," Charles Grey frowned. "We need to know who the demon is. Whoever you are, just confess already. It's your life or all of ours. The way this is going one of us is going to die on each floor. If you just died now, the rest of us would be safe."

"We aren't killing anyone!" Vincent was desperate. He was desperate for something that might convince them to leave Ciel alone. He would protect his son. He had to. "Do you want to become just as bad as Othello? You're all better than that, I know it."

Charles Grey picked up a butter knife and placed it against Vincent's throat. "It's you isn't it? Your wife was right and you panicked. I saw you push Beast forward. I thought it was my imagination but I'm certain now, you're the demon, aren't you?" his voice laced with contempt.

"Stop it!" Adrian, who had been quiet with shock, fear, and a mixture of other emotions placed his hand on Grey's shoulder. "You're tired. We're all tired. It's been a hell of a day. Just eat and sleep. Please don't cause any trouble. This might be our last safe zone. Please. If you're going to fight people fight them when we're stuck on a floor."

"Listen to him, what he is saying makes sense, unlike the nonsense you're spouting," William adjusted his glasses and sat on the ground. There were a select few futons. A limited amount...only to prove how few made it this far. They'd have to double up and share.

"Ciel, help me lay out the futon," Vincent made his way to grab one off of a shelf. This elevator wasn't average in size. But, that allowed for more comfort sleeping.

"No, you two aren't sharing one," Grey shot them a glare. "You're related and know each other the best out of all of us. I'm not going to have you plot in the night. You, short-stack, sleep with Sebastian. Adrian you sleep with Vincent. William you get redhead, I don't want to get close to that thing, and I guess that means I get the high as fuck Chinese."

Vincent didn't want to argue for that would only cause more issues. He only hoped that Sebastian wasn't a terrible fellow. His son and Sebastian appeared somewhat around the same age. Ciel only looked young. "I'm sorry about this," Vincent apologized to Adrian. The stranger didn't seem too keen on sharing a futon with him. But, the fellow also looked as if he had quite a bit of social anxiety. His bangs covered half of his face, after all.

The remaining eight members of the game barely ate at all. The food wasn't bad and it certainly didn't taste poisonous, but the sheer strangeness of the whole situation made them lose their appetite. Well, _almost_ all of them refused to eat much. Lau certainly wasn't bashful. He ate quite a bit saying, "If this is my last meal, I'm making it a good one."

Each individual buddied up with the system Grey chose. None of them approved of Grey bossing them around, but they didn't want a butter knife to their throat. No person here trusted the next (minus Ciel and Vincent) so keeping things peaceful was top priority, even if the bastard didn't deserve it.

"I'm really sorry about this," Vincent apologized. He was practically pinning Adrian to the wall to keep from touching Charles Grey.

"I-It's n-not y-your fault," Adrian stuttered as he shook. He reminded Vincent of a small animal standing before a predator.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Vincent promised.

"I-I-I k-know," Adrian said. "I-is it a-alright if I h-hug you? I-I-I'm terrified," Adrian pleaded.

Vincent's fatherly instinct kicked into gear. "Of course," he said, with full determination to protect Adrian for the rest of his life, provided that he could safely protect two people in this game.

Adrian's arms shook as he steadily tried to wrap them around Vincent. Once his mission was accomplished he rested his head on Vincent's shoulder. His shaking ceased. But, now there was an entirely different problem. Vincent could hear the sounds of moaning. The lights were out, he couldn't tell who it was if he'd turned his head. But, from what he could hear it had to be either Lau or Grell since it was near the center of the elevator.

"That's so awkward," Vincent muttered. He hadn't been speaking loudly but he suddenly felt the need to whisper even quieter now. There was a tension in the air. A switch had turned. The moans of one suddenly made Vincent miss his wife. He longed to be home in his bed with someone to embrace. No, he shouldn't be thinking about this. Not now. Their lives were still at risk. This was pitiful.

"I-I'm s-sorry," Adrian apologized. The moaning had impacted him too, it seemed. Vincent could feel something hard against his leg. Fuck. What should he do? He couldn't tell Adrian to jack off. The evidence would remain on both their clothing. The thought briefly entered his mind to take care of it with his mouth, but he didn't want to mess with someone so socially anxious. There was only one thing left to do...

"Try to think about something disgusting," Vincent suggested. "If it still doesn't go away, you are right next to the bathroom so..." Adrian nodded. His ragged breathing was hot against Vincent's skin. Vincent followed his own advice. He cursed Charles Grey under his breath for not allowing him to share a futon with his son. He didn't need to feel so attracted to this man. His wife had just died for Pete's sake.

The moans in the background got louder and more abundant. Adrian tried his best not to think about them. He didn't want to put Vincent in an even more awkward situation than this already was. But, no matter how much he tried, nature was against him.

"New plan," Vincent whispered into Adrian's ear to further avoid being heard. "Place your back against me. I'll assist you and we can direct the mess to an area of the futon that won't be discovered or reach us in our sleep."

Adrian ceased clinging to Vincent for dear life. He rolled over and became the little spoon. Why was he following these requests so easily? Vincent thought for sure he would refuse and try to convince him he had it under control. This was backfiring.

"I can't move too much or I'll risk bumping into Grey. In my front pockets there should be some handkerchiefs. Take them both out and lay one in front of you. The other can be for clean up," Vincent instructed, his lips still close to Adrian's ear. The male shivered. He reached behind him to get to Vincent's pocket, but ended up groping the man's dick instead. It was an accident, Vincent could tell from the way Adrian pulled his hand away so fast. Adrian tried again, sliding his hand carefully into the pocket. He managed to get them both, but at the cost of accidentally touching Vincent's crotch a few more times.

Adrian set the handkerchief down and held the other in his hands. He awaited more instructions patiently. Vincent felt so incredibly guilty. He didn't want to mess with him but Adrian was making it so easy. "I'm going to hold my hand against your mouth so noises don't escape like our mysterious friend behind us. Lower your pants to your ankles to avoid getting them dirty." Adrian did so.

Vincent did as he had said he would do. He placed his hand over Adrian's mouth. His lips were soft against his skin. His breathing warm. He could feel the rhythmic pumping. Adrian's naked ass kept rubbing against his crotch. The only thing keeping Vincent from getting hard was sheer willpower and the reoccurring image he was forcing himself to relive: the death of Beast. Not his wife's death, mind you, but the death of Beast as she was being torn apart by the tiger. He thought about it because thinking about it kept him from thinking about this impossible situation. Adrian's breath against his skin, his saliva leaking out of his mouth, the vibration of his soft moans on his hand, and the movement he could feel through his entire body. Then, his back arched and it was over.

Adrian cleaned himself up with the spare handkerchief. He carefully balled them up and put them in a place inside the futon where they wouldn't make a mess. He then pulled his pants up from his ankles and tapped Vincent's arm as if to signal him. The tap sent Vincent back to reality. He was too far gone trying not to get turned on that he nearly forgot his hand was pressed so hardly to Adrian's mouth.

"Sorry," Vincent apologized as he removed his hand.

"I should be the one apologizing," Adrian replied. He grabbed Vincent's hand and wiped off the saliva with a piece of his shirt. Vincent was still too dazed to refuse. He wasn't even sure what he should say.

"It's fine," he decided. "It's all fine."

"V-vincent," Adrian hesitated, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say anything. "Can I trust you?"

"Yeah, you can trust me," Vincent assured. He'd already decided to protect Adrian. Now he realized he had to rectify this wrong. He had to marry him and take responsibility for his actions. Hopefully Adrian wouldn't hold this whole hard-on thing against him. He didn't mean for any of this to happen the way it did...or for Adrian to get turned on at all. (Enter Vincent, the man who blames himself for another person's boner even though it obviously isn't his fault. Talk about conceited. Did he forget about the moaning and the sex-filled atmosphere?)

"I'm the angel," he confessed. His voice so soft and quiet that Vincent barely heard the words with the moaning still going on in the background.

"Shit," Vincent cursed. He was the only person in this entire cast of eight that knew who both the angel and the demon were...and there wasn't a damn thing he could do with this knowledge except try his damned best to protect them both.

**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Chapter End. Rewind? Sebastian and Ciel Scene. Play.////////**

"Hey, kid, do you think you could try and get a bit closer? I'm not going to bite, I promise. But the way you are positioned now is causing a draft," Sebastian said. Ciel didn't want to get any closer to this stranger than he had to. Why couldn't he have just slept with his dad? That would have been much safer and much more comfortable. He kept feeling as if everyone around him was going to murder him. He was the demon. They might as well be killing him! He would kill him if he wasn't him! At least he was as far away from Charles Grey as he possibly could be. But, that also meant his father was far away too.

"Sorry," Ciel apologized finally. He scooted a bit closer, just a bit. "I'm not a kid, by the way. I'm a teenager. We're probably about the same age, you know? But I just look younger."

"Ah, so are you like a shouta?" Sebastian inquired. "That makes sense. I thought it was weird that I thought you were cute. I was really hoping to get closer to Beast...but then that happened...but I did find you more my type. It was strange. I seriously thought I was a pedo for a second. Good to know I'm not actually as much of a demon as I thought," Sebastian immediately regretted his word choice. "Fuck, I'm not _the_ demon, you know? I'm not- that's not what I meant. Actually, just forget I said a damn thing. Fuck my life."

"I know you're not the demon," Ciel said. He knew because he was. Sebastian wasn't the only one that regretted his word choice. The gears in Sebastian's head began to turn. Everything made sense now. No wonder Vincent was sticking so close to Ciel. He was trying to protect him. No wonder he was so defensive about not killing the demon.

Sebastian put his hand on the base of Ciel's back and pushed him closer to him. "It's you, isn't it?" he whispered into Ciel's ear. Fear, a terrible wave of immeasurable fear coursed through Ciel's veins. He was going to die. Right here. Right now. There wasn't a single thing he could do about it.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of becoming a murderer just because of this silly game. I just want to save my own skin and I can do that without taking the cheater's way. I'm going to make it to floor one. Just you wait. I'm going to climb all the way out of this hell and slap that damn Othello so hard he'll regret ever dragging me into this." Ciel knew he was telling the truth. He could feel Sebastian's nails digging into his skin through the clothing. He could sense Sebastian's body tense up with rage.

"I hope I live long enough to see that," Ciel confessed. That's when he heard it...the moans. They were coming from the center of the elevator. Who was in the center again? Ciel couldn't remember and he didn't want to know either.

"Can you believe this?" Sebastian snickered quietly. "Two people died and someone is horny?"

Ciel clenched Sebastian's shirt and hid his face. He wanted to cry. He wanted to cry over his mother's death but the tears wouldn't come. Sebastian didn't know what to do. "Hey, kid, are you alright?" he said.

"I'm not a kid," Ciel replied, "and no, who would be alright in this situation?"

"Fair enough. Do you want a hug or something?" Sebastian wasn't the best at comforting people. He'd been alone most of his life. He wasn't sure why he was trying to hard to make Ciel feel okay. Maybe there was just something about Ciel that made people want to protect him. A perfect seductive skill for a demon. It was fitting.

When Ciel didn't respond, Sebastian hugged him anyway. He tried to sooth him by whispering the calmest phrases he could think of. It wasn't working as well as he would've liked. But, to be fair, the moaning in the background was likely the issue.

"Thanks," Ciel sniffled. "I appreciate it."

"No problem. We gotta stick together if we want to make it out of here," Sebastian said. "I promise I'll try my best to help you out when I can."

"Thanks," Ciel repeated. "It's nice to have another ally."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Sebastian agreed.


	5. And so, the game is afoot.

The elevator door opened to reveal a barren room. On one wall was the word 'Rache' written in bloodied letters. On the other wall was the word 'Reichenbach' written in a nice peaceful font. Charles Grey was the first to step out into the wide unknown. He walked towards the word 'Reichenbach' first, before noticing the gun under 'Rache.' He ran towards it, forcing himself to move as fast as he could. He grabbed it and pointed it at everyone. He was going to demand justice. He needed to know who the demon was.

No. He already knew. The others walked out of the elevator. They stared at him. Each one expected this type of behavior. The man was losing it, just as Rachel had. It was difficult to maintain one's sanity in such a location. "Which of you is the demon?" he asked. This question kept coming up and they'd only made it to floor eight. Vincent sighed. How was he supposed to survive?

"It is you," Charles Grey pointed the gun at Vincent. "It has to be you. Nothing else would make sense. Why would anyone want to protect the demon if it wasn't themselves?" Grey insisted. But, like so many things, he was missing the big picture.

"Wait a minute," Sebastian interrupted. "I would love to interrogate people as much as the next fellow but we have more serious matters to attend."

"Like what?" Grey lowered the gun for a moment and glared at Sebastian.

"Like the fact that there is a steady flow of water coming from an unknown location, sweetie," Grell pointed at the ground. "We're going to drown if we don't fix this."

"We wouldn't have to fix it if the demon just revealed himself!" Grey shot a glare at Vincent. He was determined to kill this man. At this point he didn't care if he was the demon or not. He just wanted him to die a fiery death in the pits of Hell.

William and Grell shot each other a glance before William stepped in front of Grey. "I'm the demon," he said. Charles Grey stared at him, confused. His brain hadn't quite caught up to the words.

"What?"

" _I'm_ the demon," he repeated. "Think about it. I'm a cold, heartless, emotionless bastard," William smirked before placing a hand on his chest. "It makes sense. I'm the demon. Othello had a cruel sense of humor. I haven't batted an eye through the deaths of Beast and Rachel. I was only concerned for my own head. Aren't you convinced yet? I'm the demon. If you need further proof. Who better to be the demon than William T. Spears? Othello is a character in a Shakespeare play, the very second challenge we faced was knowledge of those said plays. My name shares a likeness to the playwright. _I'm_ the demon."

Ciel opened his mouth to refute the statement. William was lying. He knew it. He couldn't allow the guy to die because of him. William had slept behind Sebastian. It was possible that he'd overheard Ciel's confession. Vincent placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder. He shook his head. Ciel, deciding to trust his father more than himself, kept his mouth tightly closed as the water built up. It reached his ankles.

"It's you?" Charles Grey could barely believe it. William didn't seem like he could be a demon. Perhaps that was the point of it all. He aimed the gun and he shot. The water was at his knees. William grabbed his torso. He hadn't even winced at the pain of the shot. Charles was too concerned about trying to shoot to kill that he hadn't noticed Grell loop around and pop up behind him. Grell, with one swift hand motion, slit Grey's throat. He let the body fall into the water, staining it red, before dropping the butter knife. It didn't have to be sharp. It just had to be fast enough of a movement. He couldn't believe he'd actually done it.

"The water," William pointed to 'Reichenbach' on the wall. "Look for clues under the sign..." he leaned up against the wall. 'Rache' painted above him.

"Oh I get it!" Lau raised his hand like an eager school student. "This is a Doyle floor! 'Rache' is German for Revenge! Sherlock says that in _A Study in Scarlet_! I used to read those books all the time as a kid!" Lau looked proud of himself.

"No time for reminiscing," Vincent walked over to the wall. "We have to figure out how to stop the waterfall."

"Stop!" William yelled. "Stop, put your hand back on that spot, Vincent," he ordered.

"This spot?" Vincent pressed his hand against the wall. A word appeared 'Sir.' Ciel ran next to his father and tried pressing different places on the wall. 'Arthur' appeared. Sebastian did the same. Grell did too. They had the full name. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The water should've stopped. There wasn't another word for Lau to try and find. William turned around and tried to press something. He struggled but eventually something worked. An 'L' appeared after 'Rache' to make it 'Rachel.'

"Is this some kind of joke?" William frowned. Revenge had turned into Rachel. Rachel, the first person to die.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?" Grell shrugged. That didn't stop the fact that the water was still rising and they hadn't had any more clues.

"Ignatius!" Lau yelled at the top of his lungs. "Sir Arthur _Ignatius_ Conan Doyle!"

The water drained. The new elevator appeared. William struggled to walk towards it. Grell ran over to give him a hand, as did Vincent. "Why did you do that?" Vincent asked him. "Why did you say you were the demon?"

"Ah," William's expression never wavered. "Demon hunters usually see demons in everything until they realize they were the demons all along. He wasn't cut out for this sick and twisted game. I wanted to give him peace of mind. At least he died thinking he had slain the demon."

"How were you so sure he wasn't the angel?" Grell asked. He was curious. He'd taken the chance to kill Charles because William had assured him it would be fine through their elevator conversation of the night before. But, he really did want to know the reasoning.

"The angel wouldn't try to kill the demon in this game. The angel wouldn't put everyone's lives at risk by trying to start fights. If I were Othello, the angel would be the most unnoticeable person in this game. Because, as the play dictates, Desdemona was a woman never given the time of day in a man's world," William explained.

"So the angel would have to be the social outcast?" Grell tried to understand the explanation as best as he could.

"Adrian," William said. "Adrian is the angel," he closed his eyes once they finally stepped foot into the elevator. The next floor, he decided, would be the one where he died.


	6. And so, a blood filled test awaits.

"I'm really impressed by you all so far," Othello spoke through the speakers in the corner of the elevator. "There are clothes and a first aid kit for you to use as you wish." A door opened on the left side to reveal the items described. "Continue to impress me. I quite enjoy all of you," Othello laughed and the audio stopped.

They all changed out of their wet clothes, except for William. He grabbed the first aid kit and tended to his wound all on his own. He didn't need to do a good job. He just needed something to get him through the task of the next floor.

"I'm going out there alone," he announced. "There isn't any need for you all to put yourselves in danger when I'm already dying. The elevator door won't close until we all step outside of it. So, just stay inside. I'll figure out the floor by myself."

"You can't die!" Grell slapped William, knocking his glasses off of his face. "You're the only one with brains around here. You've gotten us this far. If you die we'll all die too!"

William leaned down to pick up his glasses. He put them back on his face, groaning, the blood seeped into his bandage. "The floors after level six should be less dangerous. You just have to make it past one more without me. Either way, I'm not going to survive for much longer. My blood doesn't clot as well as it should. Let me do this," he stared into the depths of Grell's eyes. "Just, let me do this."

Grell stifled his tears and turned his back on William. He retreated to the corner of the elevator. The door opened and William walked out. No one followed him. They refused to let his sacrifice go to waste.

On the floor, were a series of desks. The one in the center had a single test on it. This should be fairly simple. Pass the test, move on. He could do this. He just had to remain focused long enough for it to happen.

William sat in the single chair awaiting his fate. His feet became chained to the seat's legs. Everyone could only watch as he picked up the pencil. The letters blurred on the page as the pain on his torso increased. William attempted to focus his eyes. With or without his glasses he could barely see. Was he getting a fever now too? Dying hurt so much.

"He can't do this," Grell panicked. "He needs medical treatment," he paced the elevator, trying his best not to watch William struggle.

"He has to try," Vincent said. "It's his dying wish..."

"He isn't going to die!" Grell grabbed the collar of Vincent's shirt and pushed him against the wall. "He can't die! He isn't going to!" he insisted. He knew the truth but he couldn't admit it. Grell had grown attached to William. They barely knew each other. No, that wasn't it. Vincent could see it in Grell's eyes. He _did_ know William from outside here.

"I should've killed Grey sooner. This is all my fault," Grell sobbed into Vincent's chest. The man was becoming quite the world-class comforter. People kept telling him all of their troubles. Meanwhile William was still out there, diligently attempting to finish the test. He succeeded. A new elevator appeared and their current one began to close. Sebastian grabbed the door, gesturing for everyone to get out.

Grell pushed Vincent aside and ran towards William. The tired and slowly bleeding man rested his head on the desk. Grell picked him up. "It's okay. It's going to be okay, right?" Grell questioned. William was too weak to speak. His face pale and his body rejecting him. "It's going to be fine," Grell told himself. He was trying to reassure William but all he could say were things for his own peace of mind.

"It's going to be fine now," Grell couldn't stop the tears. William had long since left the world. Grell refused to believe it. His blood was still warm. His body too. The blood soaked his hands. He didn't want to leave William. His blood stained his clothes. He didn't want to abandon him here.

"Grell," Adrian knelt down beside him. "Grell, we have to go now," he said gently.

"No, no, I can't leave him," Grell shook his head, refusing to accept fate.

"Grell," Adrian held him close. "We have to go now," he, slowly but surely, separated Grell from William's corpse. Grell, screaming and fighting all the while. Sebastian and Vincent held him back as the elevator doors closed. He screamed ever still, crying out to William until his voice gave out and he could barely speak at all. Grell sunk to the floor of the elevator, an empty shell.

"I'm solving the next one," he said. "Charles Grey was right," he looked at his hands. "Everyone dies at a floor. This next one, is mine."

"Grell, please, don't talk like that," Adrian tried to persuade him.

"This next floor, is mine," Grell repeated. The empty body of what once was, could not be swayed by the words of the wind. Grell was determined. He was going to die and he was going to die on the closest floor to William's as possible. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. No one, not even the smooth-talker Vincent, could change his mind.


	7. And so, the cage falls.

Grell walked out onto the floor without looking back. Lasers, like those in films, riddled the room. He tied up his hair and threw off his jacket. He could do this. He could totally do this. This was a piece of cake compared to things he used to do. The remaining members of the game stared in awe as he flew by, with majestic acrobatics, to get to the other side of the room and press a single button. It was nothing like they'd ever seen before. This floor was so easy for him.

"Come on out guys," Grell let down his hair and smiled. "This floor was made for me."

"Something isn't right," Vincent had the sneaking suspicion this floor wasn't what it seemed. Adrian and Ciel, however, didn't seem to be that worried about it. The moment they stepped foot onto the floor of the room, cages fell from the ceiling and trapped them.

"What's going on?" Ciel panicked and held the bars of the cage. He was separated from Adrian.

"I don't know," Adrian shook, terrified. Was this how he died? Was he going to kill everyone on floor six because he hadn't heard Vincent's warning?

"Choose," Othello's voice said. A giant button appeared in front of Ciel and Adrian's cage. One for each of them, with a skull on it.

"What? How can I choose who is to live or die?" Grell panicked. "I was the one that was supposed to die!"

"Choose."

"I choose me! Fuck you! I choose me!" Grell pressed his hand against his chest. He wasn't going to choose Adrian or Ciel. Neither of them deserved to die. Grell had killed two people. Charles Grey and William. He deserved to die. Ciel was just a kid! Adrian hadn't done a single thing wrong!

" _Choose_."

Vincent rushed to Adrian's cage. He reached through the bars and grabbed his hands. Sebastian did the same for Ciel. The ground shook beneath them. Lau, not taking any chances, decided to stay in the elevator. Clearly this floor was not something he could help with.

The longer Grell refrained from choosing, the longer the ground shook and pieces fell away. Vincent stepped on the base of the cage, in case his ground was gone. Sebastian did the same. They clung to the hands of the person trapped. Adrian's hands were sweating profusely. Was he going to die? Was he?

"It's going to be fine," Vincent promised. "I'm not going to let you die. If you die, we all die. I'm not going to let you die," he was speaking for his own comfort. Adrian seemed to appreciate the words. They made him feel as if he was important.

To ensure his own death, Grell remembered William's words. Adrian was the angel. All he had to do was choose Adrian and he would die. He got a running start and jumped on the skull button before Adrian's cage. The floor disappeared beneath the cage. Adrian fell. The only thing keeping him from falling to his doom was Vincent's grasp on his hands.

"It's going to be fine, it's going to be fine," Vincent tried his best to calm down as he slowly pulled Adrian up. "I can do this," he told himself. "I should've lifted more weights back in college but I can totally do this," he groaned and lifted Adrian up as best as he could.

Grell wasn't having it. Why wasn't Othello electrocuting Vincent for interfering? What were the rules to this fucked up game? Why didn't Othello use the collars like they were intended to be used? Did he have favorites?

"Die so I can die!" Grell begged as he sat on the button.

"He doesn't mean that personally," Vincent assured Adrian. He managed to lift him up high enough so that he could grab the cage bars. Good job Vincent. With Vincent's assistance, Adrian was able to pull himself upward. He clung to the bars, and to Vincent, hugging him through the cage. Ciel, not sure if the same thing would happen to his floor anytime soon, wasn't taking chances and hugged Sebastian through the bars.

The new elevator appeared. Lau got a running head start and ran for it. He didn't care about what happened to the others at this point. He knew how useless he was. Each step he took, a tile of the floor disappeared. This wasn't looking good. With two people stuck in cages and Grell being a suicidal bundle of red, how were they going to make it out of here?

"Do you trust me?" Vincent asked Adrian shortly after the piece of floor behind him fell into the abyss. Adrian nodded. "With your life?" Adrian nodded again. "I need you to go underneath the cage and get on my side. Do you think you can do that?"

"I don't have a choice..." Adrian looked at the abyss lying for him. He took a deep breath and lowered himself. The cage rocked back and forth as he tried to get in a good position for hanging. His face ended up crashing into Vincent's crotch a number of times.

"S-sorry," he apologized. Vincent wondered why this was always happening to the two of them. Was this a type of deranged fanservice? For whom?

Adrian dangled from the cage. His sweaty palms made it difficult to hold on. He lost his grip on one of them. He panicked as one of his arms dangled by his side. The fear in his eyes was enough to tug on Vincent's heart strings. Shit. Vincent knelt down carefully and grabbed Adrian's wrist. Adrian slowly lifted his other hand. He shifted so that it was on the other side of the bar. Vincent grabbed it, and let go of Adrian's wrist. He moved that hand. Now he was on the same side as Vincent.

Electricity. A current flowed through Vincent from his collar. He cried out in in the agony. It wouldn't stop. He could barely focus. Was this his punishment for helping the chosen victim? Shit. He hadn't thought about this. Vincent gritted his teeth and fought through the pain of his collar. It felt as if his head was being chopped off from his neck. Vincent never wavered. He clung to Adrian, some of the electricity flowing into the angel's body too, but not nearly as bad as his.

The flesh charred on Vincent's neck. The stench of it made the others wince. How was Vincent able to fight through the pain? And still pull Adrian up? Twice? The man must be a god of some sort. The current stopped once Adrian was able to cling to the bars on his own.

"Ciel, get closer to the bottom, like Adrian did. Sebastian, step behind you for a second so the section of floor disappears. Be careful. Grell, can you jump to the other button? Or do you insist on being a pitiful scumbag in your last moments?" Vincent said. All doubts in their minds about Vincent being some sort of god were gone. He was able to talk? Think? Give orders? All through that pain? What nonsense!

Vincent maneuvered around the cage to get to the side with the button. "Grell? Are you even paying attention? Please try and right your wrong."

Grell stood up and stepped towards the edge of the button. It was fairly big, he should've been able to make it to the other one. But he jumped too far, and slid off of it. Vincent, without so much as thinking before doing, jumped and slid to the edge of the button, grabbing Grell's hand. He clung to the other cage, trying his best to maintain a grip. The floor had fallen, just as expected, and Ciel was already moving to get to Sebastian's side.

"Let go of me, damnit," Grell insisted. He wasn't even trying to grab Vincent's hand.

"If you think I'm just going to watch you fall to your death, you're mistaken," Vincent replied. He could barely hold on, exhausted from pulling Adrian up twice, and now he was trying to pull up Grell with one arm. This was not in his physical aptitude.

"It's fine," Grell said. "It's really fine. I deserve it. Let me atone for my sins, please," Grell said.

"I stood by and watched you enter this floor by yourself. That was my first mistake. I'm not going to let you kill yourself a second time," Vincent refused to give up. There was no one else available to help Grell but himself. He had to do this. He was going to do this.

His grip on Grell's arm wavered. His own palms were getting sweaty. He couldn't do this for much longer. His arm was numb from trying. Grell had already given up. He slid through Vincent's hand. "No!" Vincent cried out, reaching for him, failing. He watched as the body disappeared into the darkness. He never even heard the 'thud.' "Fuck!" he yelled. "Fuck it all!" He slammed his fist down on the button and rested his head on the edge of the cage. This was no time for mourning or regrets. He had to escape this floor with everyone that remained.

Once again, Vincent fought through the pain and stood up. He looked at the remaining tiles and saw there was a way to the elevator. "Adrian, get to the button. Sebastian, Ciel, you too. Come here. When we all reach the two buttons, we go at the same time. Do you see the pattern?" Vincent pointed. "We run. Okay? We _run_."

They all got in position. On the count of three, they ran. They ran as fast as they could and as closely in sync as they possibly could manage. It worked. They made it. The elevator closed. Just like the night before, one side opened to reveal food, and another to reveal various supplies. There was only one futon. There were no arguments about who got to sleep in it. Vincent had earned all of their respect. He deserved to sleep well.


	8. And so, a bed awaits.

William was right. Floor five didn't seem nearly as dangerous as the other ones. There was a bed in the center. How dangerous was a bed going to be?

"Wouldn't it be great if the test was to sleep for a few hours?" Vincent yawned. He was using Adrian for support, still exhausted from the previous room. No amount of food was going to ease the pain he was in.

"Looks more like public sex if you ask me," Lau stared at the bed more carefully. There was a nightstand next to it, no doubt with some scandalous products lying inside. "Which would be fine with this group considering the first elevator night we all shared. I'm curious. Who was doing all the moaning?"

"I can assure you it wasn't me," Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I prefer to make others moan," he smirked and glanced at Ciel.

"Don't make it sound like it was me! It wasn't!" Ciel crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks.

"It wasn't us either," Vincent sighed. "Which only leaves the ones no longer with us."

"I want to know who," Lau frowned.

"You won't ever find out _who_ ," Vincent sighed again. "Unless you ask Othello? But good luck getting him to answer your questions." Vincent couldn't handle the seductive calling of the bed any longer. He wanted to sleep with a real pillow under his head. He removed himself from Adrian, ran, jumped, and dived into the pillows. "So soft," he mumbled. "So luxurious," he said before falling asleep.

"Damn. Are they really that nice?" Sebastian couldn't stop his curiosity. Lau was curious in his own interests (he was dying to check the contents of the nightstand). The two moved in sync and stepped closer to the bed. A cage fell, trapping them. Well, this was familiar...

"Is the floor going to fall again?" Adrian panicked.

"No," Lau looked at the roof of the cage. "I was right. This is a public sex floor," Lau pointed. Sebastian looked up to see the sign with the words 'have fun~'. Vincent, well, he was still sleeping soundly on the bed, completely unaware of what had happened or what was going to happen.

"Wait, I don't have to take part in this right?" Sebastian looked from Vincent to Lau. "Three is a crowd..."

"Three is a threesome," Lau snickered. "Othello must have a funny sense of humor. None of us are right for each other. That must be part of the fun. Poor Ciel and Adrian."

"S-s-s-sex?" Adrian hid his face in his hands. There was no way he could watch such a thing. He hadn't even watched a porn video one day in his life! He had no idea what to expect. He had no experience either.

"Are you two really going to violate my father while he is sleeping? Don't you think he has been through enough?" Ciel sighed. "And Sebastian, aren't these guys a little too old for you? Or do you have a daddy kink?" Ciel scoffed (although, he had no room to talk about _daddy_ kinks).

"Hey! I just wanted to know what the sheets felt like! Don't judge me!" Sebastian grabbed the bars of the cage and glared at Ciel. An electric current shocked him. Damnit. They had their collars _and_ the cage to worry about.

"You're going to get plenty of the sheets in a minute, dearest," Lau snickered. He held up a packet of condoms and a bottle labeled 'Succubus Scent.' Of all the things you could name lube, Lau thought this was one of the better names.

"Should we wake up Prince Charming?" Sebastian walked over to the bed and nearly touched Vincent.

"Stop! Don't do that! If he doesn't wake up on his own he can be a real monster!" Ciel became pale at the mere thought. He was reminded of the one time he had tried to wake up his father. It didn't end well for him (daddy kink confirmed?).

Lau sat on the bed and gestured for Sebastian to come closer. "Don't be shy, dearest. Let's have fun, that's what we're supposed to do after all. This is a game, isn't it?" Lau smiled.

"I have no interest in taking part," Sebastian ran his hand through his hair. This was going to be a nightmare if he ever saw one. He was more interested in Ciel. Not Vincent. Especially not Lau. Besides, weren't Vincent and Adrian the ones getting along nicely? This was a mistake.

Adrian's hands were glued to his face. He wasn't going to watch. It wasn't polite. He wasn't going to hear either. He tried his best to shut off his hearing capability. Ciel sat down next to Adrian. He rested his head on Adrian's lap and watched the show. This had to be entertaining in some way. These three were the worst combination. Ciel couldn't suppress the smirk forming on his lips.

Lau had already stripped of his clothing. He sat on the bed with his legs crossed, still holding the succubus lube and condoms. "We've got the rest of our lives to think about this. Are you sure you don't want to just get it over with, Sebastian?"

Sebastian gritted his teeth and began to take off his own clothes. Ciel watched, amused. They were caged pawns. He did feel pity for Sebastian. The scars on his back and torso induced a feeling of empathy inside Ciel. What kind of life did he live? Did he have to sleep with people before? Was he in some sort of gang? Questions like these and more kept creeping up in the back of Ciel's mind.

Sebastian got on top of Lau, hovering over him with hesitation. He really didn't want to do this. That much was clear. He was so focused on Lau, however, that he completely forgot about Vincent Phantomhive. The man had been lying on the bed beside them, sleeping soundly, until he'd inadvertently fallen off. Like Ciel warned, he was a monster if woken up by outside forces.

A hand grabbed Sebastian's hair and pulled his head back. Devilish eyes stared him down with such anger. Who was the true demon here? "Didn't your father ever teach you to be courteous to your elders?" Vincent scolded. "I don't like getting thrown off of beds." It didn't matter to him whether or not he'd fallen or had been pushed off. He was going to get his sweet revenge.

Lau wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and pulled himself upward. "It looks like you've awoken the beast," he whispered into Sebastian's ear. "Are you ready for your punishment?"

"What sort of shitty roleplay are you two trying to pull?" Sebastian refused to let himself be turned on by such a charade.

"Roleplay?" Lau ran his hands down Sebastian's chest. "Whatever do you mean? We're just two adults ready to teach a filthy teenager a lesson in manners. Isn't that right?"

"Fuck my life," Sebastian couldn't hold back any longer. He could feel the bulge building up.

"Oh?" Vincent stared down at Sebastian's crotch. "Are you sure those are the words you'd like to use?" Vincent slid his arm around Sebastian's torso and pushed him back and onto his lap. Sebastian blushed slightly at the feeling of Vincent's boner on his ass. The thin fabric of Vincent's pants wasn't going to hide the obvious. The man was angry, tired, and had spent far too much time on the elevator that one night hiding his yearning for dominating someone. Now the cup had gotten too full and the stars had aligned just perfectly. There would be no holding back.

Lau knelt down and looped his arms around Sebastian. He'd already lubed up his hands quite a bit to prepare the male's entrance. Sebastian placed a hand over his mouth to keep from moaning. He refused to let himself be humiliated any further than he was now. Vincent grabbed his wrist and forced his hand away. "My, my, who are you trying to hold back for? The order was to have fun, was it not? Are you afraid of my son seeing you in such a sorry state? You'll have to learn to live with that, son-in-law," Vincent's voice in his ear sent shivers down his spine. "There are few chances to let yourself be ravished in life. Don't disappoint us now, let me hear you, sweet raven."

What little modesty Sebastian had left was gone. He'd been released from those chains with a few simple words. Be it a farce or the truth, he no longer cared. Lau unzipped and removed Vincent's pants. He slid Vincent's cock carefully into Sebastian's ass. Sebastian's back arched. Vincent was still holding onto his hair, forcing his head back. The cold gaze of those eyes staring down at him only increased his yearning.

Lau prepared his own ass shortly after he'd prepared Sebastian's. Sebastian, however, was too preoccupied by Vincent to notice such a thing. He didn't notice until the warmth of Lau's ass on his dick appeared. He glanced forward, only to have his hair pulled further back. Vincent refused to let him see.

The feeling of being ridden while also riding was far too conflicting for dear ol' Sebastian. Penetrated and penetrating. He couldn't tell which was better or which was worse. He could only feel the beads of sweat rolling down his body. He could only hear the sounds of Lau's moaning and Vincent's soft but antagonizing grunts.

Ciel thought he would be jealous by the sight of his dad manipulating and destroying all shred of decency in the boy he'd grown fond of, but it was quite a different emotion he felt. He couldn't stop himself from imagining himself in that situation. Oh, how he secretly longed to be locked in that cage too. Whether it be dominating someone or being dominated, Ciel didn't know which he preferred, but the thrill of it was what he sought. Why hadn't he taken more interest in the bed when they'd fist entered this floor? (Daddy kink returns?)

Adrian, on the other hand, peeked out through the spaces between his fingers. He had tried his very best not to watch, but couldn't help himself when he heard Vincent's voice. He wished with all of his being that he was in Sebastian's place. The excitement of being embarrassed out of his mind with other people watching...he couldn't get over it. However, he could do without the third person. Adrian was fascinated with Vincent. He had been since floor ten. He'd been silently watching him from the safety of his fringe the entire time and was overjoyed when Charles Grey decided that the two should sleep in the same futon.

"Hey," Ciel looked up at Adrian's face. "You like my father, don't you?" he asked. The redness of Adrian's ears was enough to give him away. "I'm not him, but, if I part my hair the right way I can look like a younger version of him. What do you say we have our own fun on the elevator? There is a futon after all..."

Adrian shook his head. "N-no, I couldn't. I'm no good a-and it would be betraying my feelings."

"I can see why you're the angel," Ciel smiled. "You truly are one."

"Ah! N-no! I'm not really!" Adrian waved his hands frantically as if attempting to swat the idea out of the air. In the process, his eyes locked with Vincent's. He noticed, then, that somewhere during the duration of the time Adrian and Ciel had been talking, Lau ended up on the floor unconscious and Sebastian was half off the bed, also unconscious. Vincent stared at him, waving, smiling, with his legs crossed and his eyes gleaming with a devilish tint. What had happened in that short span of a few minutes?

The cage lifted and the new elevator appeared. Vincent hopped off the bed and made his way over to it. There were showers, not many, but still there were showers. Ciel got up off the floor and followed him. Adrian sat, staring at the bed some more. Was he ever going to get his wish? He shook his head. Whether or not Vincent cared about him wasn't going to matter either way. He was satisfied with his silent watching. He was, wasn't he?


	9. And so, confess your sins.

Chains dangled from the ceiling of floor four. Feathers covered the entirety of the room. It was dark. It smelled weird. And neither of the five remaining members wished to step out onto this monstrosity. However, they did, eventually, and when all five of them left the safety of the elevator, the black feathers on the floor clung to their ankles. Each remaining member was dragged towards the chains and hung from the ceiling. Words appeared on the walls. " **You can only be free of the secrets lying within, once you've shared a darker one.** " 

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sebastian struggled to release himself from the shackles. "There is no way I'm going to tell any of you my deepest darkest secret!" 

"Alright, fine, I'll go first," Lau cleared his throat and tried his best not to get too flustered. "I'm in love with my kid sister," he said. 

Sebastian looked at him with disgust. "Incest? _Really_?" 

"We aren't related by blood! Don't judge me! I went first!" Lau's shackles opened. He rubbed the marks on his wrists before sitting down on the feather-filled floor. "I can love anyone I wish, thank you very much. I didn't see you volunteering to share. _Someone_ had to go first," Lau frowned. It was perhaps the first time any of them had seen him frown. Usually, he had a small grin plastered on his face. It made most of them (if not everyone) incredibly uneasy. 

"Let's make this a safe space," Vincent suggested. "We shouldn't judge each other for whatever we say. These are dark secrets for a reason...they weren't meant to be shared but we don't have much of a choice. Play nice, please."

"I'll go next, provided that Sebastian refrains from being an asshole," Ciel shot him a glare. 

"Fine," Sebastian returned the glare. If looks could kill, these two would've killed many. 

"I, uh," Ciel paused, he couldn't stop his face from turning a dark shade of red. "I have a daddy kink," he confessed.

"Oh shit," Vincent stared at his son, not with shock, but with guilt. "I'm a terrible person. I've corrupted my own son with my bad _habits_." 

"Yes, I admit it. It's 100% your fault. I didn't ask to have such a sexy father," Ciel's shackles were released and he too sat on the floor. He didn't dare sit next to Lau, but he still sat nonetheless. 

"Great, so we have _two_ incestuous people," Sebastian rolled his eyes. 

"I never said I was in love with him! I just, uh, okay fine. You may have a point," Ciel hid his face in his hands. 

"Damnit," Vincent sighed. 

"It wasn't your fault your dad is such a fine piece of work," Lau shrugged. "I would've fallen for him too. Actually, I still might," Lau smirked. "He did violate me in such terrible ways, as you know," Lau brought his hands to his cheeks and shook his head as if he were a bashful high schooler. But, the smirk proved otherwise, he was simply toying with Vincent. 

"Are you serious?" Vincent wanted this to end. Was there anyone here that _wasn't_ infatuated with him? 

"I'm a virgin," Adrian said. Everyone stared at him, not quite believing it, but also completely believing it. There had to be some criteria for choosing the angel of the group, right? Perhaps that was the deciding factor...virginity. 

"Not for long," Lau snickered when Adrian's shackles were released. "I've seen the way you look at Vincent. I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking care of that for you..."

"Lau, please shut the fuck up," Sebastian snapped. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, did the events of the last floor give you a daddy kink too? Did you think you could have both the father and the son all to yourself?" Lau's snicker turned into a definitive laugh that bounced off the walls. 

"You're an asshole," Sebastian decided. 

"You didn't deny it," Lau crossed his arms, proud of himself for being such a wizard at reading people. "And you thought _I_ was the perverted one. Look at you, blushing at the mere suggestion of monopolizing these two males. Did we ruin you? Hm? When we-"

"Alright. I'm going to put the cap on _that_ conversation. Sebastian, it looks like it's just you and me now," Vincent stared at him. The two were on opposite walls. Sebastian's face turned pale. He looked down so that his hair would cover his eyes. 

"I killed people. Lot's of people. So many that I've forgotten the number, but I see all of their faces at night when I sleep." The room went silent with the heavy confession. Only one of Sebastian's shackles was released. 

"What the hell?!" Sebastian clawed at the other one. He swung a bit from side to side as he tried to break the chain. 

"You must have something else that's weighing on you too," Vincent said. 

"That wasn't in the rules! The phrase says 'once you've shared a darker one'! It doesn't say anything about having to share more than _one_!" Sebastian frantically tried to release the shackle by force. 

"Othello must be messing with you then," Vincent sighed. Would this nightmare ever be over?

"Come on, _sweet raven_ , tell us another one," Lau grinned. "Something kinky this time." 

"My gang boss used to make me dress up as a butler," Sebastian blushed lightly just thinking about it. "He would make me run around in this weirdass tight leather suit with strange hooker boots." 

"Now _that_ certainly would be a sight to see," Vincent couldn't help but imagine it. Sebastian's remaining shackle released and he sat on the floor with the rest of them. Vincent was the only one left. Lau, the single person that had been enjoying this floor, couldn't wait to find out something juicy about Vincent. The man oozed the scent of secrets. 

Vincent closed his eyes and tried to think of something. He wasn't one to particularly keep secrets from anyone (that's a big fat lie). But, the one thing he did have to offer he really didn't want to share after hearing Ciel's confession. 

"I," Vincent paused and opened his eyes. He yelled his confession at the top of his lungs as if it was something noteworthy. "I can't eat grilled cheese unless it's cut diagonally into triangles!" 

"What?" everyone said in unison. 

"That's hardly a noteworthy confession," Lau frowned. "I really was looking forward to yours too." 

"My shackles aren't releasing at all!" Vincent frowned. "I thought that was truly embarrassing! I've never told anyone that! Othello! Let me go! Don't be so cruel!" Vincent sighed. Looks like he couldn't fool the game's master one bit. He let out another long sigh before confessing something truly unexpected, "Truth is, I'm not actually Ciel's father." Everyone gasped. Vincent's shackles released and he fell to the ground with a light 'thud' the only person to have not landed on his feet (but, cut him some slack, the last two floors were a strain on his body). 

Ciel, overjoyed, ran to him. He pushed his father down before he could sit up and he kissed him. "Well, _that_ was unexpected," Lau said. He clapped, approving this incestuous action. After all, Sebastian cringed and that was more than enough for him to be pleased. 

"Should we stop him?" Sebastian wasn't sure how to feel. Technically there wasn't anything wrong...if they weren't blood-related. The whole situation was still _off_. Ciel did seem a bit too attached to Vincent from the start of this game. But, he'd just assumed that it was because Ciel was the demon and wanted protection. Could this be one of those 'enter the haunted house with the guy you like so you can cling to him' tropes? Sebastian shook his head. Even if it was _that_ he didn't want to know about it. 

The new elevator appeared. "I'll take that as a sign we should stop him..." Sebastian walked over to Ciel, but the male simply wouldn't release his father. Instead, he kept trying to reapply the shackles. 

"Have you gone mad?!" Sebastian grabbed both of Ciel's hands and pulled him off of Vincent. Vincent, very grateful, and not wanting to have to attack his son, stood up. 

"You wouldn't understand!" Ciel spat. "I can't return to the _real_ world and continue to be open about my feelings! I only have here. I only have right now," Ciel sobbed. "No one is here. There are no rules. No objections. I can simply love him. Sexually or otherwise."

"Oh, Ciel," Vincent sighed. "I'm not going to hate you just because you told me the truth," he said. "If anything, it's my fault you ended up like this," Vincent sighed once more. He scratched his forehead as if trying to peel away distracting thoughts to find the words he was looking for. Perhaps the problem lied with his parenting style, the way Ciel grew up, Rachel, any number of factors. Vincent couldn't pinpoint the right one. 

Vincent knelt down to make eye contact properly with his son. He smiled. "It's not wrong to love someone. Maybe you're confused, maybe you aren't, maybe you don't realize what it is your feeling and think it's sexual, romantic, platonic, or any combination of love there is. But, it won't make me think of you any differently. You're still Ciel Phantomhive. In any case, we have to make it to floor three. We're almost to the finish line." Vincent stood up and walked towards the elevator. Sebastian followed. Adrian and Lau were already twiddling their thumbs inside, awaiting the rest of the group. 

Ciel took a minute, but he did make it to the elevator. He stood next to Vincent, grabbing his arm, trying not to sob, and they all stood waiting for the doors to open. Just a few more floors left. Just a few more... 


	10. And so, the coffin awaits.

There was a coffin in the center of the room. An ominous, small, coffin resting on a table. On the coffin, was a name. Ciel Phantomhive. Ciel stared at the name, traced it, as his mind refused to connect the fact that it was his own. Vincent, upon seeing the name, opened the coffin. A body, a perfectly identical body to Ciel's, lay in the coffin. His hands lying across his chest with white flowers surrounding him.

It was then that Vincent made a crucial discovery. One that he had to keep secret from the others. He stared at the ceiling, wondering where the cameras were. But, even confessing his knowledge to Othello was dangerous in this moment. He still had to play the game.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ciel stared at the body. He touched the face, still warm, as if he had just died moments in the past. Or, maybe this was his future. He couldn't tell you the difference.

"This is my son," Vincent explained. "This is the _real_ Ciel Phantomhive, so to speak."

"I don't understand," Ciel said. Naturally, he wouldn't. It was just a few seconds ago that he realized he wasn't related by blood to Vincent.

"Do you remember anything from before your thirteenth birthday?" Vincent asked. He already knew the answer.

"No."

"You never thought that strange?" Vincent leaned over the coffin and cupped 'Ciel's' face in his hands. "Did you also not find it strange that even though years passed, you never got taller and your voice never got deeper? You just remained stagnant...in your thirteen year-old body?"

Ciel honestly hadn't thought about it much. He expected that it would take him longer to grow up. But, he sensed there was a secret lurking here. Would Vincent tell him the truth? Was that the answer to this floor?

"Rachel gave birth to _this_ Ciel," Vincent sighed. " _This_ Ciel died on his thirteenth birthday. He was sickly, and there was nothing science could do for him. You were manufactured by a friend of mine. He asked us to participate in an experiment. We did. Rachel insisted. She wanted her son back more than anything. So, like the story goes, you were _created_ and not born. Your body was pieced together with stolen parts. _This_ Ciel's cells were spawned to create your skin. You're the first clone ever developed. A near replica."

"I'm...fake?" Ciel looked at his hands. They didn't feel like _his_ hands anymore. He was an impostor. "This was...all a lie?" he stared at Vincent. "Did you ever care for me? Or did you simply care for your dead son?!" Feelings of betrayal washed through him. It was a lie. It was all a lie. Everything he knew, wasn't _real_.

"Don't be ridiculous," Vincent's cold gaze stared into the depths of Ciel's eyes. "Do you think you could ever replace my son?" he asked. "You two are nothing alike. Don't think so highly of yourself. You are you. He was him." Vincent returned his gaze to the coffin. "In the beginning, perhaps, maybe I thought it would be easier to pretend you were one and the same. But it became so obvious that you weren't. It wasn't a lie. You aren't fake. You're 100% all you. Calling you his twin would still be pushing it."

"You two make one fucked up family," Sebastian said. He crossed his arms and stared at the body in the coffin. "He is right though, this kid doesn't look at all like he'd have the same bratty personality you do. For one thing, he is _smiling_ ," Sebastian pointed.

Ciel slapped him. "Say that to my face, asshole."

"I'm not sure I know what's going on," Adrian began, "but I'm glad everyone seems to be liking each other again," he smiled.

"So, uhm, what are we supposed to do with this dead body in order to summon the next elevator?" Lau asked the more serious question.

"Sleeping Beauty? Sebastian, you kiss him," Vincent demanded.

"Why do I have to do it?" Sebastian frowned.

"Well, I would, but Ciel is already feeling insecure. I don't want him to get even more antsy about my undying affection," Vincent gestured to his living boy.

"I'm not going to do it!" Sebastian refused, wholeheartedly.

"Fine, I'll kiss him then," Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Stop!" Lau raised his hands just as Ciel leaned over to kiss his other self. "I have a serious question to ask before you do this..." Lau crossed his arms, breathed in, breathed out before asking this question, "If you were to fuck the original Ciel Phantomhive...would that be considered incest or masturbation?"

Ciel smiled, devilishly, before grabbing some of the flowers and throwing them at Lau. He used this as a distraction before kicking him right in the dick. Lau grabbed his crotch and cried out. He certainly wasn't expecting _that_. Ciel promptly turned back to the coffin and kissed his other self. The next elevator appeared.

"I can't believe that worked," Sebastian stared at the new elevator.

"This should be the elevator with food and futons," Vincent said before walking into it. Sure enough, food and...not a single futon. Did people never make it up this high? Oh wait, there it is. Vincent held up the single futon and out fell some black laced lingerie.

Lau whistled. "Do put that on for us, dear, I would like a good show," he snickered.

"Do you think this was planted here or just leftover from the last game?" Vincent picked it up from off the floor. He held it out to examine it, it was clean. Perhaps it was planted. He didn't realize, however, that the way he was holding it made it appear as if Adrian was wearing it. Vincent dropped the thin pieces of fabric for the second time.

"Who wants to claim the futon?" he asked, changing the subject without getting the answer to his previous question. He slid the lingerie into the corner and laid out the futon.

"I think whoever has the balls to wear that lingerie and sleep with it on has full rights to claim the futon," Sebastian smirked.

"Theoretically, if said person does wear it, can said person choose a sleeping buddy? Or is that outside the bet?" Adrian softly asked this question whilst poking his two pointer fingers against each other.

"I'd say that's fair," Sebastian replied.

"Then, I'll be back," Adrian grabbed the lingerie and retreated to a bathroom.

The door closed and Sebastian placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "You're welcome," he winked, knowing full well Adrian was going to pick Vincent to be his 'sleeping buddy.'

"No elevator sex though, not this time," Lau pleaded. "I would like to get one good night's sleep before reaching floor one."

"Do you really think it was me that did it last time?" Vincent sighed.

"I wasn't talking to you specifically," Lau smirked. "But I will be keeping an eye on you now. Thanks for the warning."

Adrian opened the door and cautiously peeked his head out. His face completely red. He inhaled and exhaled before exiting the bathroom completely. It was a bit like he was wearing a bikini, you know, one where there is hardly anything to support the breasts of a female (not that it mattered to him, since he was male, and the thin black lace was just enough to cover his nipples). The bigger issue was the bottom part, clearly not meant for male usage. He covered his crotch with his hands. On top of all this, there was a loose thin veil that draped from the upper lace. It covered his torso but left little to the imagination.

"It kind of suits you?" Lau placed a hand on his chin and examined more closely. "You're long hair certainly makes it a bit more fitting..."

"I did it," Adrian said, "so I get the futon, right?" Sebastian and Lau nodded. Ciel glared, knowing full well he was going to pick Vincent.

Adrian smiled and grabbed Ciel's hand to drag him over to the futon. "You've had a long day. So you deserve to sleep on something better than the floor," Adrian said. Ciel stared at the futon and then at Adrian.

"You're wearing that ridiculous thing so that I can sleep on the futon?" Ciel raised an eyebrow. Adrian nodded. "Not because you wanted to seduce my father?" Ciel raised his other eyebrow.

"W-what?!" Adrian hid his face in his hands, the typical Adrian move. The redness of his face traveled to his ears and the back of his neck. "N-no! That's not what I had in mind at all!"

Ciel laughed and pulled Adrian into the futon. "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought."


	11. And so, a merciful death.

Adrian's original clothes were gone when he woke up. He was forced to wander around the second floor wearing nothing but the lingerie. He regretted the decision to put it on, but there was no stopping it now. Vincent, feeling sorry for him, took off his own shirt and draped it around his shoulders. "It's not going to help you much, since I'm shorter than you," he said, "but at least you can feel a little less exposed."

Adrian gratefully accepted the cloth. It smelled like Vincent. He felt safe wearing something that smelled like Vincent. Ciel, also enjoyed the fact that his father wasn't wearing a shirt. As did Lau. Sebastian, the only person to not give a fuck about Vincent, didn't care so much. He was growing a fondness for Ciel, despite the fact they had their many differences.

The second floor had an iron maiden, a guillotine, and a table with a skeleton. On the skeleton's bones, a message was written. " **Kill me with mercy.** " Adrian's body shook with terror. "How?" he asked. "How does Othello know?" he cried. He tore at his hair until some chunks fell off. He screamed and knelt on the ground. Panic. Raw panic.

"Adrian?" Vincent knelt next to him. "What's wrong?"

Adrian bit his nails, half tearing them off, half destroying the tips of his fingers. The blood trickled down his arms, mixing with the tears falling from his face. "He knows," Adrian repeated over and over again. The skeleton, he recognized it. "He knows I killed my brother," Adrian whispered. "You have to kill me," Adrian grabbed Vincent's shoulders with his blood stained hands. "You have to. If you do it, I'm sure I won't mind."

"I'm not going to kill you, Adrian," Vincent promised that much.

"But you have to!" Adrian's eyes welled up with tears once more.

"Adrian, whatever this floor is, I'm 100% certain you're not meant to die on it. Firstly, if I did kill you, the rest of us would die too. Did you forget that you're the angel? Secondly, we made it to floor fucking two, we are this close to beating this damn game. I'm not letting you, or anyone else, die. We just have to think about this," Vincent helped Adrian up onto his feet. "You know more about these two mechanisms than I do. Which one is more merciful?"

He lifted a hand and pointed to the guillotine. "That one was created to be a swifter, less painful method of execution," Adrian explained. "Before then, they just chopped off heads. It could take a few cuts before the head fell off."

"Alright," Vincent looked to Sebastian.

"What do you want me to do?" Sebastian frowned. "I'm not touching the dead body."

Vincent sighed, "Fine, I'll do it then. Ciel, look after Adrian, will you? He seems a bit unstable," Vincent picked up the skeleton. It was sticking together with string and screws. No bones were out of place. He positioned the head just so and grabbed the string to release the mechanism. The blade fell, the head rolled, and an elevator appeared. This elevator was louder, noisier, and looked more run down then the rest. The five individuals stared at the doors. Were they really going to make it to floor one? This elevator seemed like it was going to kill them first.

Slowly but surely each member stepped onto the elevator. The doors closed and a screen appeared. "It's been a while," Othello said. He smiled and waved. "Did you miss me talking to you every now and then? Sorry, I usually talk more. But, you were such an intriguing group that I forgot to say a thing. That's my bad. I like to raise the intensity with my false hints or random statements. It truly is a shame I never did so. How have you enjoyed Iago's Game? From what I've gathered...only one of you has figured it out," Othello crossed his arms and sighed. "I'm certainly going to miss you lot." The screen turned red and Othello's eyes were shrouded with black. "Enjoy floor one," he said.

The members felt a pit in their stomach. The lights flashed; the screen lost connection and turned black. The elevator...moved _down_. It wasn't going up. It wasn't going to floor one. They were dropping. They were falling to their deaths. Was this it? Was this how they were supposed to end? The game they thought they could win...had all been a trap for this moment?

"We're going to die," Sebastian realized. "We're going to die! He never had any intention of saving us! It was a hoax! A scam! He just wanted us all dead in the end!"

"It's okay," Adrian wiped away his tears. "I've accepted it." He wrapped his arms around Vincent. Ciel hugged his father too. Lau, not wanting to be the only one out, joined the group hug. "If we die, we die together and that's better than dying alone," Adrian smiled. He gestured for Sebastian to join in too. He rolled his eyes, but he did join in. They all closed their eyes, accepting each other's warmth...they accepted their fate.

The lights stopped flashing. The elevator stopped. Othello reappeared. "I'm just kidding," he winked and they moved back up.

"That fucking asshole!" Sebastian punched the screen, breaking it. His hand bled with shards of glass in his skin.

"Don't you dare say that again," Lau glared. "I don't care if he was joking or not. Don't make him change his mind."

And, with that, the duration of the trip was silent.


	12. And so, we discovered the truth.

The door opened, as it usually did. Rows and rows of monitors filled the walls. In the center of it all was one man, one desk, and a dozen or so keyboards lying on it. Bags under his eyes, a ragged lab coat, and slippers that hung loosely on his feet. He turned around in his spinning chair and smiled. "Welcome, to floor one," he said. "My name is Othello, but you already knew that, didn't you?" He scooted his chair forward to the table in the center of the room, with a board on it and pieces of white and black. A chair sat opposite to him. "I'm sure I don't need to warn you about trying to harm me. You do still have the collars after all. There is one last game to play. Don't disappoint me. Choose your group leader...and we'll play a game of, well, _Othello_." 

Everyone turned to Vincent. "Me?" he pointed at himself. "I've never played the game _Othello_ one day in my life," a bead of sweat ran down his neck.

Othello snickered. "Most people don't. It's fine. Whether you win or lose is of no consequence. The game is just a formality. Humor me, would you? This is likely the last time I'll see you."

Vincent sat in the chair and stared at the board. Hours passed as the two carefully made their moves. Othello had explained the game, of course, he loved a nice fair game. White. Black. White. Black. There seemed to be no end in sight. Sebastian, Adrian, Ciel, and Lau, all placed their trust in Vincent. He had done so much for them, surely he could pull one last miracle.

"Say, you've figure out the trick to Iago's Game, haven't you?" Othello peeled off the wrapper to a lollipop and stuck it in his mouth. His grin wasn't hidden by the candy.

"Trick? What trick?" Adrian inquired.

"He hasn't told you? I thought for sure he would've told you by now," Othello laughed. "That's fine. You can tell them now. What have you discovered, dear Vincent?" Othello leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. The same ceiling he was plagued with looking at for such a long time.

"The reason we can play such a game as this..." Vincent folded his hands. "One where people die of little consequence, the reason is, well, we're already dead."

"You're fucking with me," Sebastian rested his hands on Vincent's shoulders. He shook him with force, not that it would change the reality of the situation.

"I'm not. Think about it. There was a floor for each one of us. One designed just for us to die on, our perfect retribution to our lives. Rachel was always untrustworthy, shooting daggers with her mouth. She died by the bullets she shot at others. Beast was a lion tamer, she died by a tiger's fangs. Charles Grey was a miserable and corrupt detective. He died because of his false pretenses. William was a teacher. He died taking a test. Grell was a thief. He passed the first part of that floor so well, the laser maze. Lau was a sex trafficker. He was forced to have public sex in a cage that he'd forced others into. You were an assassin, guilted by the shackles of your own conscience. Ciel had a brother, a secret he realized but could never piece together. The perfect way to lay rest the question that had plagued his subconscious. Adrian supposedly killed his brother. One floor for each of us. But, we didn't all pass on. As you can see, because five of us are still here."

"It's amazing," Othello leaned his head on his hand. His arm rested on the table as he placed his next piece. "You're a lot smarter than I expected you to be. How did you discover so much about them with such little information? Vincent, do tell."

"A magician," Vincent placed his finger to his lips, "never reveals his secrets." He placed his last and final piece, turning a majority of the pieces to black. Vincent won the game. "I'm the only one without a floor, because the first floor was and always will be Othello's office."

"That makes no sense," Ciel crossed his arms. "Shouldn't you have to face some sort of punishment too? How are you going to pass on? Don't tell me you've lived a full life with no regrets!"

"You don't seriously believe we are dead, right? We can't be. I mean, look at us, we're living right now!" Sebastian gestured to himself and to the others.

"We're dead. Do you want to know how I know that much at least? Because, Ciel Phantomhive, the _real_ Ciel Phantomhive, my son, was burned," Vincent's eyes glowed with a twinge of red, like the fires of Hell. "There is no way someone could replicate my son's body without looking into my memories because there is no body to be found. The only way to do that," Vincent tapped his head, "is to look through my soul's cinematic record."

"My, my, you do know quite a bit about how the afterlife works," Othello snickered. "Are you expecting something special because you've figured out all of this information?"

"Are you going to destroy our souls?" Vincent asked. "What exactly are you planning on doing with us anyway?"

"The winners of Iago's Game typically become arbiters, like me. You'll have your own games to rule over and govern. However, there are also those that become reapers to collect the souls and bring them to arbiters such as myself," Othello took the lollipop out of his mouth and pointed it at Adrian. "He is likely to be a reaper." He then gestured to Ciel and Sebastian. "These two are likely to be shared arbiters. Lau, well, I can't say for certain. He might just be recycled instead of used."

"What about me?" Vincent asked.

"You?" Othello laughed. "You, yes indeed, what about you?" Othello scratched his head. He ruffled his hair and sighed. "I don't have a clue about what they'll do with you."

"In that case," Vincent leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "I have an idea..."

...

"Welcome to Quindecim! I'm the Earl Phantomhive, your host for this evening!" A screen with Vincent on it dressed in fancy attire awaited the ten group members. "This game is called Kuroshitsuji. One of you is the angel, one of you is the demon. Kill the angel and you all die. But wait, there is more!~" Vincent tapped his cane against the floor to reveal five individuals. "On each floor you'll have to defeat the floor's boss! Allow me to introduce them," he winked.

"This fine fellow is my son, the last person you have to face," a smaller version of Vincent waved at the crowd with a scowl. "He likes candy, just so you know."

"This is the undertaker," a silver haired man with a large saggy hat and a black robe waved. His hand wasn't visible behind the long sleeve. "He likes jokes."

Vincent kept walking as he spoke. "This is the scientist." Vincent leaned in to whisper to the camera. "He is a bit mad if you ask me..."

"This is the drug dealer. Every good manor always needs one of those," a man dressed in Chinese attire smoked a thin pipe. He snickered at the introduction.

"And this," Vincent walked to the camera. The people could hear him tap his cane. A light appeared shining on a well dressed man wearing all black. "Is my butler. He is your first opponent. Good luck. If you pass all five floors you'll get to meet me," Vincent pointed to himself. "The Big Boss! Good luck trying to win the game," he waved and the camera shut off.

"Good luck indeed," the butler smirked and crossed his arms in an X fashion. Butter knives filled his hands. "You're going to need it here."


End file.
